Chap. 66.] THE PELICAN. 527 



taught, and among land animals the mouse ; while on the other 

 hand, the elephant does what it is ordered, the lion submits to 

 the yoke, and the sea-calf and many kinds of fishes are ca- 

 pable of being tamed. 



CHAP. 63. (46.) THE MODE OF DRINKING WITH BIRDS. THE 



PORPHYRIO. 



Birds drink by suction ; those which have a long neck taking 

 their drink in a succession of draughts, and throwing the head 

 back, as though they were pouring the water down the 

 throat. The porphyrio 83 is the only bird that seems to bite at 

 the water as it drinks. The same bird has also other pecu- 

 liarities of its own ; for it will every now and then dip its food 

 in the water, and then lift it with its foot to its bill, using 

 it as a hand. Those that are the most esteemed are found in 

 Commagene. They have beaks and very long legs, of a red 

 colour. 



CHAP. 64. (47.) THE H^EMATOPOUS. 



There are the same characteristics in the haematopous 84 also, 

 a bird of much smaller size, although standing as high on tho 

 legs. It is a native of Egypt, and has three toes on each foot ; 

 flies 85 forming its principal food. If brought to Italy, it sur- 

 vives for a few days only. 



CHAP. 65. THE FOOD OF BIRDS. 



All the heavy birds are frugivorous ; while those with a 

 higher flight feed upon flesh only. Among the aquatic birds, 

 the divers 66 are in the habit of devouring what the other birds 

 have disgorged. 



CHAP. 66. THE PELICAN. 



The pelican is similar in appearance to the swan, and it 

 would be thought that there was no difference between them 



13 The Fulica porphyrio of LinnaEUS, the Poule sultane of Buffon. 



84 Literally, " the blood-red foot." Cuvier says that this description may 

 apply to the sea-pie or oyster -eater, the Haematopus ostralegus of Linnaeus, 

 or else the long-legged plover, the Charadrius himantopus of Linnaeus, 

 but most prohahly the latter, more especially if the reading here is " hi- 

 mantopus," as some editions have it. 



85 Muscae," "flies," is a mistake of the copyists, Cuvier thinks, for 

 ** musculi," "mussels." 



be More especially the Larus parasiticus, Cuvier eaya. 



